Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for controlling driving of start/stop coasting (SSC) cruise system, and more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for controlling driving of an SSC-cruise system that enters an SSC in some of a cruising section.
Description of Related Art
Recently, a difference between official fuel efficiency and real fuel efficiency of vehicle driving has been documented. Therefore, the real fuel efficiency upon the vehicle driving requires improvement. As a result, technologies have been researched and developed for maximizing real fuel efficiency using driving conditions of a driver, surrounding traffic conditions, road information, or the like as well as controlling a vehicle system.
For example, a technology of searching and guiding an economy driving route using IT and traffic information, a technology of storing slope information regarding a road and a past driving pattern to guide efficient fuel efficiency driving, a technology of predicting and determining a road gradient and traffic information to control charging/discharging based on a state of charge (SOC) level of a battery, a technology of selectively adjusting a driving mode based on a route toward a destination and traffic information using map information and a database (DB) to minimize fuel consumption, etc., have been researched and developed.
An example of one of the technologies capable of maximizing fuel efficiency as described above may include start/stop coasting (SSC). FIGS. 1A and 1B are diagrams describing the SSC of the related art. Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the SSC is a technology that cuts the fuel to an engine and clutches off a power transfer of a transmission upon coasting (see FIG. 1A). As a result, an engine drag torque is cut off, and thus a driving distance is increased (see FIG. 1B). Further, various types of driver assistance/support system for improving driver convenience have been developed. One example of such a system includes a cruise control system. The cruise control system is a system for driving a vehicle while maintaining a vehicle speed without engagement of an accelerator pedal when the driver fixes the vehicle speed at a desired speed.
Therefore, when the existing vehicle including both the SSC and the cruise control is cruised (e.g., driven/cruised at the desired speed) by the cruise control system, the existing vehicle may not enter the SSC. In other words, since the vehicle needs to be maintained at a constant vehicle speed, the operation of the engine is necessarily required, such that the engine may not stop. As a result, the related art has a problem in that the improvement in fuel efficiency by the entry into the SSC may not be promoted in a cruising section.